Aliko Dangote: A salute to perseverance By Amb Greg Ozuomba Mbadiwe (MFR)

Great friends

Kindly permit me to use this platform to congratulate Alhaji Aliko Dangote on his Amazing epoch-making event of the commissioning of the Largest single train 0il refinery in Africa and perhaps beyond.

I join his numerous well wishers and friends in thanking Almighty God and Almighty Allah for finding him deserving of such grace.

I saw the picture of the gigantic structures called the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals company and had no doubt in my mind in concluding that God loves Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Nigeria.
Aliko as he is fondly called, perhaps influenced by his maternal grandfather’s successful exploits in commerce and industry, one of the patriarchs of the illustrious Dantata family of Kano state, had set his eyes permanently on the success ball.

Aliko had always dominated his environment in commerce and business even as early as when some of us were finishing secondary school, even though we were slightly older than him he had learned at an early age to remain focused on his money-making acumen and instincts. But in spite of his seeming Midas touch he never allowed himself to be distracted away from his immediate constituency, his friends, acquaintances and of course his Lagos which he loves so much.

As we grew up it seemed like everyone had a lineage of varying degrees of successes in each ones environment which cast a must succeed pressure over our heads, implying that you must not allow yourself to fail.

In this respect, I must say that Aliko for all times dominated the pack. I am, therefore, not surprised that today we are celebrating a financial Wizard, nay a financial guru par excellence.

I have always known Aliko as a True to Type noble man that fully understands the chemistry of incredible wealth acquisition and its strategic deployment.

Congratulations to Kano! Congratulations to Nigeria for producing such a noble Man!

I celebrate him today as a symbol of the true Nigerian spirit of “persevere to conquer”.

Congratulations my worthy friend, Alhaji Aliko Dangote GCON.

Amb Greg Mbadiwe (MFR) is a former Ambassador to Congo.